The best study method in the world

Posted by Faizel Mohidin on Aug 9, 2009 in Mind Mapping, Mind Maps in Education | 1 comment

What is the best study method?

You might be thinking that this guy is very bold to even attempt an answer to this question!

The answer is quite simple though – Any method that utilises the whole brain!

Scientists have now almost universally agreed that the left and right halves of the brain largely have different functions. (For those of you that don’t know, the brain looks very much like a walnut, with two visibly distinct halves.)

The left side of the brain is the logical side and deals with lists, numbers and structured information etc., while the right side of the brain is the artistic side and handles colour, sensory experiences and unstructured information.

While the above is not entirely true, as both halves share some functions, using both the artistic side and the structured side in learning will greatly improve retention and understanding.

You now have a very good yardstick to measure any study method by.

Why is our study method so special?

This is even easier than the first question – our study method is so special because it actively incorporates both sides of the brain!

It uses Mind Maps®, and the Cornell Method. The artistic, visual learners will be more comfortable with Mind Maps®, while the logical, linear learners will be more comfortable with the Cornell Method.

The Cornell note-taking system is a widely-used note taking system devised in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Pauk advocated its use in his best-selling How to Study in College, but its use has spread most rapidly in the past decade.

Only by using both these methods, will the whole brain be used.

What are these methods?

Mind Mapping

The Mind Map Study Method uses Mind Mapping. Mind Mapping is a visual learning tool developed by Tony Buzan. It allows you to record whole chapters, sections and even complete books on a single page. Each page on this website has an overview Mind Map on the top of the page. I will devote a whole section on this website to Mind Mapping.

Simply put Mind Mapping consists of the following:

• Central Image
• Main Branches
• Sub Branches
• Details

If you are new to Mind Mapping, just browse this site and look at the examples to get a general feel of the concept. A Mind Map® can be overwhelming initially. If this is the case, simply focus on one branch at a time and soon your mind will build the necessary hooks for the information to attach to. I will show you how to convert a Mind Map® to a linear note, making it easier for those more used to regular, linear notes.

The Cornell Method

The Cornell method is actually quite brilliant in its simplicity. To use the method, simply take an A4 sheet of paper and draw a 6cm column on the left hand side.

Key Words will be placed on the left hand side and details on the right hand side.

That’s it! No complications, no fuss. Just easy to use, brilliant methods.

These methods are incorporated in our Learning Management Programme.

Cornell and Mind Maps Working together

If converting from a Mind Map® to the Cornell Method:

• The central Topic becomes the main heading
• Each Main Topic becomes a heading
• Each SubTopic becomes a Key Word on the left hand column
• Each detail branch gets recorded on the right hand side, with Key Words possibly highlighted.

If converting from a Cornell Method note to a Mind Map:

• The main heading becomes the central topic
• The headings become main topics
• The keywords on the left hand side become SubTopics
• The paragraphs on the right hand side get converted to detail branches.

These methods are described in more detail in the Study Methods module of our Learning Management Programme.

So whether you use our method or not, ensure that you use methods that appeal to your whole brain to get the best possible results when learning.

And stay away from those boring, dull linear notes!